The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1887-06-04
AROUND WILLIAMSBURG.


his cavalry, with artillery, under Stoneman,
May I, to pursue Johnston. Stonen,an
caught up with Stu,rt's cavalry near the
Halfway house. Here was {. line of Con-
frdcrate works waiting for him In front of
him was large re'loubt of carthworks called
Fort Magru'lcr. Tier" was some skirmish-
ing, then Stonenan rctrca,rl To wait the ar
rival of infantry to operate with linn. AS
he did so lie left his own cannon behind him.
ingloriously stuck in the mud
May 4 Hooker had marched with thc in
fantry by IL shorter ro;ul ON the right to Join
Stonenlan. Gen. w. Il. Smith followed hy
the Lees Mill road on the left After him
moved couchs and C,scys divisions kcar-
ney'S followed Hooker on the right. Sum
ncrs corps followed next day. Frankln's
and Fitz John Portrr's divisions were To he
sent up the York river from Yorktown by
water. Gen. Mcclellan stayed till the last MT
Yorktown.
The Federal troops engaged III the fight at
Williamsburg, were lockers and Smith, Iii.
visions and k"arncy's divisions, besides part
of Couchs. On the Confederate side Long
street commanded.
Hooker fulfilled his orders to the letter At
daybrcak, May 5, he came in sight of Will
liansburg. Knowing that plenty of To-
endorsements were behind him, lie attacked
ut once with his 5000 men All the while the
plan of the ConfcdcrltrS was to retreat
slowly toward Richmond, keeping a strong
rear guard back of them till they could place
tho Chickahominy between themselves and
the enemy. 1t was a masterly movement.
1t was this strong rear guard which hogan
the battle of Williamsburg, though rc.cn-
forccmcnts from the front speedily were sent
back.
Hooker, fighting hotly at the front, sent re-
peatedly to the commanding officer for help
But the simple fact is there was no com
manling officer. A conflict of authority
arose between Sumner and Heintzelman, who
dislked each other. So nothing was done to
relieve Hooker
Still the rain fell, rs it had been doing for
month Artillery wheels sank to the center
in the mud, but Fighting Joe Hooker kept
until night on the ground that had been
abandoned
Not paying any attention to Hooker, who
was fighting on the Federal left Sumner de-
cidcd to lnaE"a movement on the right A
Confederate rcdoubt on Cub Dam creek, cast
OF Fort Magruder, was reported empty
Sumner ordered Gen. Winfield Scott Han
cock to go and take possession Of it. He did
SO, and likewise took possession of another
earthwork in advance Of it, He wished to
take n third one still nearer Fort Magrrldcr,
and repeatedly sent for rc-cnforccments to
enable him to do so. Sumner twice ordered
them to so to his aid and twice counter
mandel the order Hancock sent again ul-
gently, and that time Sumner ordered him to
fall back. Thus Hancock got 10 more sup
port than Hooker did It. seemcd somehow,
to J." a battle without head.
Hancock was extremely loath to obey such
an order, knowing the advantage that might
he gainr'l- He determined to obey as slowly
as possible. Meantime the enemy poured in
upon him. He began rctrcating slowly before
them Suddenly he turned Oh them and opened
Il terrific muskot fire. As the smoke from
that cleared away somewhat ho shouted to
his men: Now, gentlemen, the bayonct" :"
His solliers made tremendous bayonct
charge That decided the day. The Confcd
crates broke and fed. They lost on that part
Of the battlefield alone 800 'lIancock was
superb, Gen. Mcclellan tcegraphcd next
day.
So Hooker and Kearney on the left and
Hancock on the right saved the day at Viii
liainshurg May 5, ls'a
But the Confederates got Off and continued
their retreat toward Richmond, just they
had intended. Next day the pursuing army
captured a few Of their guns, which had
nnrcd in the mud and been abandoned.
That, with som" stray prisoners, was the sum
total Of the Federal spolls Of war after this
battle. The Union forces lost !,:??2?s in killed
and wounded, the Confct!cratcs 800
Gen. Mcclellan was not on the field till near
5 O'Clock in the afternoon. He was at York
IL